“We see in Washington deadlock,” Brown said to about 1,600 delegates at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “We see in California consensus and commitment.”

Brown barely bothered mentioning the obvious underpinning of his pitch – that the changes have occurred under a Democratic governor and Legislature.

“People were saying we were a failed state,” he said. “That was only a couple years ago. Pundits were saying we were like Greece. The fact is, California is back. We have a million new jobs. We are a beacon for the whole world.”

While the state's unemployment rate continued to fall in January – down to 8.1 percent – the month also saw a stalling of otherwise steady job growth, with the Employment Development Department posting a monthly job loss of 31,600.

And while nobody in the convention hall pointed out that blip to Brown, there was plenty of shouting, chanting and sign-waving for those urging “no fracking,” referring to the controversial technique of extracting natural gas from the ground by fracturing rock with pressurized liquid.

“There's not much that my governor has done that I'm disappointed with,” delegate Kelley Willis of Venice said after Brown's 12-minute speech. “But not taking a position on fracking is one of them. There are other, less harmful sources of energy.”

Nonetheless, Willis applauded Brown's ability to talk over the shouts and chants.

“You've got to hand it to a politician who can stay on his speech with all that,” Willis said.

Also addressing the convention was House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who said there are enough Republican votes in the House to help Democrats raise the minimum wage on the national level, to pass comprehensive immigration reform and to renew an extension of unemployment benefits if GOP leadership would allow the measures to go to a vote.

The three-day convention is focusing largely on partisan issues, but the occasional internal party wrangling includes the battle for endorsements for two statewide offices.

Assembly Speaker John Perez and Board of Equalization Member Betty Yee, both Democrats, were vying for the party’s nod in the state controller’s race.

And three Democrats – state Sens. Alex Padilla and Leeland Yee, and former Common Cause executive Derek Cressman – campaigned for the endorsement in the secretary of state race. Delegate voting was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and evening, the results to be ratified by delegates Sunday.

California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks to attendants of the state Democratic Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during the general session at the California Democratic Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
During his speech, California Gov. Jerry Brown was greeted by a group of anti-fracking protesters waving signs and yelling at him. Rep. Pelosi are among the speakers at the state Democratic Convention in LA - we'll include them among our Saturday coverage of the convention so let's get shots of them. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
California Gov. Jerry Brown walks to the podium to begin his speech at the state Democratic Convention on March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi takes the stage, greeting the attendants of the state Democratic Convention in Downtown Los Angeles on March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Supporters of California Gov. Jerry Brown excitedly cheer him on as he makes his way towards the stage podium during the state Democratic Convention. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
During his speech, California Gov. Jerry Brown was greeted by a group of anti-fracking protesters waving signs and yelling at him. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during the state Democratic Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi speaks during the state Democratic Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cecilia Aguinaga, from the Orange County Vector Control District, cheers for California Gov. Jerry Brown amidst a group of anti-fracking protesters on Saturday. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Eric Garcetti greets Los Angeles resident Michele Reed after the conclusion of the speeches at the state Democratic Convention on Saturday morning. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris smiles during the speech she gave at the state Democratic Convention on Saturday morning. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
California Gov. Jerry Brown was greeted by a wave of anti-fracking protesters that yelled out remarks during his speech at the state Democratic Convention on Saturday morning. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
At the conclusion of the general session, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti,left, had a chance to speak with Former vice chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Terrence Montgomery, right. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Houston Mayor Annise Parker speaks to the attendants of the state Democratic Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014. ISAAC ARJONILLA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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